Life — January 16, 1902 — page 7: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Oe Cateye i CENE: Dress-circle of the Cosmopolitan Opera House. Enter Fanny and Julia, accompanied by the rustle of silk and the scent of violets, Herbert following meckly in their wake. ¥ (brisk, breathless, and smiling, pushing her tay into her seat): There, you sit between us, Herbert, and then we can tell you about it as it goes along, so that you will have some idea what it is all about. Here's the book,—Julia, did you— O yes, T hav ‘There, you can be read- ing up while we're getting settled. (Herbert reads, under difficulties, picking up the librettos and handkerchiefs wi the ladies on either side drop occasionally as they struggle with veils, hatpins, wraps, ete.) Jutta: You must hurry, because the overture will begin in a minute, and you don't want to lose a note of it. You see, it gives a sort of résumé of the whole opera,— all the principal motifs are in it, and it pre- sents the conception symbolically, Hennent (skeptically): How do you know so much about it? THE ENJOYMENT OF WAGNER. (one way.) Fanny (triumphantly): O, we've been reading itup! Just as soon as you tele- phoned about the tickets we sent down to the Library, and we've studied at it all the afternoon. We just know it by heart! You see, everything depends, in Wagner, on being perfectly familiar with the opera be- forehand. Julia! There's Mary Day— over there on the left—with the white feather. Don’t you see? Quick, she’s bowing to you! O, Herbert, I do hope you'll enjoy it! I know you don’t care much for this sort of thing—Wagner, you know ; but if we explain it to you Hernert (diffidently): O yes; and the— the Meistersinger is rather—rather musical, isn’t it? Fanny (horrified): Musical? Heroent (hastily): I mean compari- tively—compared with some of them, you know. I thought—— Fanny (impressively): It's exquisite! There, don’t bother with that libretto any longer. It would take you years to get through with it. Here's Lavignac,—per- fectly charming—and so clear; you just feel as if you knew exactly what Wagner meant by it all when you've read that. If you had only come home earlier to-night, we could have taught you lots, But never mind ; you just skip along through it,—I’'ll find the place—and you'll get a sort of a general idea—— Junta (anzious'y): Fanny, hadn't wo better tell him the plot? He'll enjoy it ever 80 much more. Faxxy: I thought he'd better get an idea of the music; it’s more important. You see, Herbert,—I must explain to you about the motifs. They’re little sort of— well,—tunes; and they express what is in the minds of the characters,—the sentiment —the—well, for instance, there’s the Meis- tersinger motif—- Herpert (floundering helplessly tn the Lavignac): Hold on a minute, won't you, till I find out who the old Meistersingers were, anyway ! Fanny (pityingly): 0, he doesn’t know a thing about it! It’s too bad! Why, the Meistersingers were a society in Germany, — it’s quite historic, you know—and Hans Sachs was one of them,—Sachs, the cob- bler,—— Juita (interrupting): He's just the loves comicbooks.com